2-19-2024 10:14pm

Girls' swim team also thwarted by a top-ranked team in state sectional final

Donnella Tilery Editor

The top-ranked high school swim team in New Jersey proved to be the nut that Bridgewater-Raritan High School could not crack.

For the second straight day in a state sectional swimming championship meet, Bridgewater-Raritan was eliminated by a team that is ranked No, 1 in the state.

On Thursday, February 15, the Bridgewater-Raritan girls’ swim team, ranked No, 7 in the state, was defeated by top-ranked Ridge High School, 99-71, in the North Jersey, Section 2, Public A state sectional final at the Raritan Bay Area YMCA in Perth Amboy.

A day earlier in the same pool at the Raritan Bay Area YMCA, the second-ranked Bridgewater-Raritan boys’ swim squad was edged by No. 1 Westfield High School, 86-84. In the same North Jersey, Section 2, Public A state sectional title meet.

In a rematch of Skyland Conference girls’ swimming rivals, Ridge (10-0) continued its historical season behind an effort that resulted in seven first-place finishes in the 11 races. Ridge had defeated Bridgewater-Raritan (10-3), by a score of 104-66 during the regular season on January 2 in Basking Ridge.

Ridge never trailed after opening the meet with a 1-3 finish in the 200-yard medley relay. All-American and All-Stater Emily Thompson, a senior, led the way with four gold medals for the Red Devils. She won the 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard freestyle and participated in the 200-yard medley relay and 400-yard free relay. The sectional title was Ridge’s first since 1983.

Senior Katie Pestrichelli led Bridgewater-Raritan with two gold medals— 200-yard freestyle and 500-yard freestyle, while senior teammates, All-American Erica Maltsev and Dora Dvorkin, touched the wall first in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard breaststroke, respectively, to give the Panthers four first-place finishes.

Maltsev placed second to Thompson in the 200 IM in the state Meet of Champions race last March but the Bridgewater-Raritan swimmer did not compete in that race in the state sectional final on February 15. She swam in the 100-yard freestyle and placed second in the state sectional final.

The loss snapped a seven-meet winning streak for Bridgewater-Raritan, which had upset sixth-ranked Westfield on Monday afternoon to earn its astounding eighth sectional final berth in the last nine state tournaments.

With two losses to Ridge factored in along with a regular-season setback to second-ranked Immaculate Heart Academy from Bergen County, Bridgewater-Raritan’s only three defeats were against the top two teams in the state.

Graduating from Bridgewater-Raritan in June are the following Class of 2024 members from the girls’ swim team: Jenna Ali, Lila Blomquist, Amanda Chau, Dora Dvorkin, Alex Enriquez, Madison Hou, Srushti Jadhav, Ruhee Jagtap, Erica Maltsev, Reya Mehta, Katie Pestrichelli, and Sahana Radhakrishnan.